A former teacher who has transformed her life after being hit with severe depression and is using her experience to help others with mental illness is to receive a European award for her work as a volunteer.

Carole Dimmock (58), a Capital Volunteer from Uxbridge, Middlesex, will be recognised as ‘ACE’ at an award ceremony in Warsaw, Poland, this week (Friday 5 October). Carole has won an Active Citizen of Europe (ACE) award for her efforts as a volunteer supporting people with mental health issues. 

Carole is one of five exceptional volunteers to win a Volonteurope ACE award and is the only award winner from the UK. Volonteurope is an organisation which brings together volunteering charities from 30 countries and is holding the award ceremony in the run up to World Mental Health Day on Wednesday 10th October.

Carole became a volunteer through Capital Volunteering, a scheme backed by volunteering charity CSV and the London Development Centre. She has been volunteering with the Occupational Therapy Service at the Riverside Centre in Hillingdon Hospital since 2004. Carole runs a voluntary Café at the hospital staffed by ex-patients. Carole also visits patients on the wards and in the community as well as running a self-help group.
 
Carole became a volunteer after having her own mental health difficulties. Carole says: “After a career in teaching I was hit with depression. Almost immediately after leaving hospital I began volunteering and helping others and definitely helped me. I think the patients appreciate speaking with someone who knows about depression first hand. I was so honoured to have been nominated for the award and it’s amazing to have won. I’m really looking forward to visiting Poland and meeting the other winners.”

As part of his recovery, Carole has benefited from Capital Volunteering, an innovative scheme operating in 11 London Boroughs with the backing of volunteering charity CSV and the London Development Centre. Preliminary independent research conducted by the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London indicates that 85% of participants report positive outcomes from getting involved in volunteering despite underlying isolation experienced by many within the community.

For press enquiries contact: Paul Donohoe, CSV Press Office on 020 7812 0037 pdonohoe@csv.org.uk

Notes for Editors

1. Volonteurope is the European network for volunteering and active citizenship and has 2,000 members across 30 countries the continent.

2. The Capital Volunteering programme aims to tackle issues of mental health and social inclusion, through volunteering.   Funded by the Treasury, through its Invest to Save Budget (ISB). Its lead partners are CSV and the London Development Centre. www.capitalvolunteering.org.uk

3. CSV (Community Service Volunteers) creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action. Last year 227,000 people gave 5 million hours of their time as volunteers through CSV. CSV trained 12,705 people of all ages. www.csv.org.uk

4. The London Development Centre is part of the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) and one of eight regional development centres in England. It aims to support service improvement of care services in London and help ensure better outcomes for children and families, adults and older people, including those with mental health needs, physical disability or learning disabilities and people in the criminal justice system. www.londondevelopmentcentre.org

5. For more information: World Mental Health Day: www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2006/
world_mental_health_day/en/index.html